The United Church Downtown Mission hands out more than 130,000 meals a year, but its most important job is serving up hope.

The mission celebrated its 40th anniversary Saturday night with a sold out Las Vegas-style charity dinner. Ron Dunn, director of development and community relations, said Windsor would have been a different place without the mission over the last four decades.

“Without the mission and places like the mission, I think it would be a tougher spot,” said Dunn. “We provide food and shelter and clothing and haircuts and all kinds of things, but more importantly, we provide hope. I think if we weren’t here, there’d be a lot of hungry people for sure, and also there would be a lot of people who just wouldn’t have a place to go.

“We’re family to a lot of the folks who come here, and that’s an important role for us.”

The mission started at Central United Church in 1972. As demand grew and services expanded it made a number of moves to different downtown locations, finally settling at the former Temple Baptist Churchat 664 Victoria Ave. In honour of its service to Windsor, said Dunn, the city has declared November United Church of Canada Downtown Mission Month.

For its Magical Night Fundraiser, the mission transformed its humble basement dining room into a swanky dinner club. Magician Dan Trommater from Toronto was the entertainment.

“We’re celebrating 40 years of serving Windsor, the hungry, the homeless and the hurting,” said Dunn.

“We’re bringing light to the work that goes on here. We’ve never done anything to self-promote ourselves in terms celebratory events.”

About 200 people, at $40 plate, packed the place. Along with 50/50 draws, raffles and the opportunity for people to dedicate seats in honour of loved ones, the hope was to raise between $10,000 and $20,000.

Dunn was pretty confident they’d hit that mark.
“We’re always supported well by Windsor and Essex County, and this is no different,” he said. “We probably could have sold another 100 or more tables if we had the space.”

Dunn said donated dollars and $300,000 a year worth of volunteer time is the only way the mission is able to help so many people.

“We help an average of 200 to 230 people every day, on top of our food banks and breakfast programs and all these other programs,” said Dunn. “We’re doing in excess of 130,000 meals now a year.”

“By the grace of God, I guess, is how it happens.”

Donna Patterson is one of those volunteers. But when she first came to the mission about three years ago, she was the one relying on the grace of volunteers.

“I started coming here to have lunch,” said Patterson. “They showed me kindness and made me feel comfortable, welcome. You meet a lot of friendly faces and you meet new people all the time. You got your good and your bad, but you know, you got a lot of kind people in here.”

The kindness she experienced made her want to make the same difference in other people’s lives.

“I just figured I’d start helping out for the needy,” she said. “Put some volunteer hours in to do for them what they’re doing for everybody else. I enjoy helping in the mission to do for others.”

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